Hope for a Runaway
by CloudsInTheSea
Summary: Alfred, a child who has runaway from home, meets a strange but gentle man who at the end lights that spark of hope Alfred thought he had lost years ago when his life went tumbling downhill.


[APH]Hope for a Runaway

A/N:Warning!Mentions of child abuse,violence,drugs,swearing,lung cancer and self-hate, the reason why this fanfic is rated T.Also Alfred,Arthur and Mattie may be a bit OOC, sorry..(Out of a Character)

Rain hammered down onto the cold, hard ground as Alfred, soaked and wet, sat on the bench.The ten-year old didn't even bother to find shelter in the unknown streets of the city.The rain just reminded him so much of his life, his sad,lonely,miserable life.He hated his own so much that he had ran away from it all.From the constant yelling and swearing to the beatings he would receive at the smallest of things or nothing at all.He had even left behind one of the most important things, something he wished he kept, someone dear to his heart.Alfred's story is a messed up one.One you would pity, or cry for but this is his life and he'd be fine if you heard it, in fact he doesn't care at all.So, here it goes...

Alfred once lived with a loving, caring family.Once being the past tense.He had a Dad and a Mum like all other kids.He even had one of the best older brothers someone could ever ask for.His early child hood was the best, memories of running through bright, sunny fields with his older brother,Matthew while playing tag were always thought of.Then shortly after they would spread the long, red and white picnic blanket down, feasts on fruit and delicious dessert were always pleasant after their tiring run.Those were the best days of his life, but then one day it all came crumbling into dust.

His Mum died from Lung Cancer, explaining all of the coughs and chokes for breath when she came back inside, a hidden pack of cigarettes behind her back.He was too young at the time so he didn't understand what smoking was.His Dad never knew about his Mum's cancer or sicknesses anyways.When she died his Dad blamed it on Alfred and Matthew.He would swear violently at them and later on followed by painfully hard punches or kicks.Alfred wondered what happened to the once kind and caring father they had.

He was glad that his older brother was always there for him.Matthew had always protected him.Matthew had always been there for him.Matthew had put up with their Dad for him.Had was the past tense.The two were all so young when it happened, only Matthew kinda understood, he was the oldest after all by three more years.They had watched as their Dad crumbled before them, the end result being a horrible,depressed,child-abusing man who no longer cared for life.Alfred missed the old days, he wished to go back so far like to when he was just born.He wanted to restart.

It was shortly after his ninth birthday.Matthew had managed to sneak a store bought cupcake into their room and he happily presented it to Alfred as his present.The nine year old was glad for the cupcake., it was the most delicious thing he had tasted since his mum died.Their Dad no longer bothered to feed them or allow them to have food but Matthew had managed to find ways of sneaking in store bought food into the house every now and then.Alfred had whispered it to Matthew, he called it his greatest plan of escaping life.He told Matthew the exact words, "I want to run away.Just me and you".Matthew, as much as he wanted to go with Alfred, disagreed.He needed to take care of the remainder of their Dad.He needed to make sure that their Dad didn't drink to much and that he hid all of the remaining money so that their dad wouldn't spend it on drugs.So quietly, he let Alfred escape into the night with a bag packed full of clothes, important items and all of the food Matthew had snuck in the past day.

"You need it more than me.."Matthew had whispered between short sobs.

After a quick hug, Matthew gave Alfred a piece of paper that had the name of a place scribbled neatly on the top.

"In the future.."He paused uncertain."Someday let's meet again here..at this exact location."Alfred had nodded tears in his and then a farewell was mentioned as Alfred finally fled into the night, not a single glance behind him.

Now sitting in the pouring hard rain with little shelter of a tree branch above his head he regretted leaving Matthew behind.He should've begged harder.Suddenly an umbrella was moved above his head.Alfred glanced up in alert, fists ready in case it was a someone who wanted a fight.Hey, you always had to be careful out on the streets when your alone.He saw a man, one with shaggy blonde hair and the deepest green eyes he had ever seen.Thick caterpillar eyebrows rested calmly on his head while a huge purple umbrella was used to shelter Alfred.

"What are you doing all alone out in the rain?"The man asked gently.It was always so hard to explain to strangers when they asked why he was alone.So quickly and on the spot, Alfred came up with an excuse.

"I forgot my umbrella and...my parents went out to the toilet for a bit."

Convinced, the man nodded.

"Is this seat taken?"Alfred didn't get why the man would want to sit on the rain soaked bench.He shook his head anyways and the man nodded once more, only he didn't take sit down.

"How about we go someplace..dryer?I'll explain to your parents later."The man asked offering his hand to the child.Alfred hesitated to take the older man's hand but instead after a minute he had quickly stood up, surprising the other male and then he rejected the offer to take the person's hand but accepted to go.The man just smiled gently.

Alfred had followed behind the person as they led the way to a cafe.Once they were inside they sat down at a round, wooden table and then a waitress came by to order their drinks.

"One cup of coffee and one hot chocolate, please."The other male ordered.Smiling, the waitress wrote down the order and then she was gone.The two sat in an awkward silence for awhile, none of them really knowing what to say.

"Do you see your parents yet?"The man asked,resting his head on the palm of his head while nervously glancing outside of the large, square window in the cafe.Alfred nodded, another lie.As he got up to leave their drinks arrived and the mysterious man let Alfred take it with him.

"Thank you..."Alfred whispered as he turned his back towards the other and exited the cafe.The man smiled, gently.

It wasn't until two days later when Alfred saw the same man again.He had been quietly sitting in front of a small patch of flowers when in the corner or his eye he spotted two familiar caterpillar eyebrows.Quickly, he jumped into a nearby bush and hid examining the passing figure.The man was whistling a tune, one that Alfred couldn't recognise, while quickly walking down the smooth, concrete path.Alfred giggled once the man had gone.He couldn't help but wonder why the strange man had those huge caterpillar eyebrows, but it was hilarious watching them move when the man made a funny expression!

For the next week Alfred continued to see the man, either they would sit down on a bench together and talk for awhile or they would just quickly pass by the other.The second time they had talked the man did most of the talking and Alfred the listening.He was starting to trust the man but constantly he would remind himself to not get to close because you never knew what could happen next.Someone could be your best friend or your loving parent and then one day they change and leave you to rot in the dirt.Life was always like that with Alfred.One minute he was running through sunny fields with his happy older brother having a blast and then the next his dad was violently yelling and screaming at them.

Alfred never knew his day was coming.He had been sitting on the same old, wooden bench, feet happily swinging back and forth as he watched the swaying of the trees or the birds that flew by.The bag that Matthew had packed for him was rested safely on his lap as the wind blew, making a mess of Alfred's already messy hair.He could see an approaching figure and he guessed it was the same man.Surely it was the same man, once again.They went through the usual 'Hello' and 'How are you?' and then the man took a seat next to Alfred on the bench.

"I was hoping you'd still be here.."The man spoke softly, glancing at a nearby tree.

"I want to...talk actually."The two turned to each other, sky blue eyes meeting an emerald green and then the mysterious man continued.

"I want to know why you're always here in this park and why I never get to see your parents.I want to know."Alfred stared wide eyed.Maybe he had trusted this man too much, maybe if he let out the answers everything would be fine he thought.Alfred knew that no one but his brother could be trusted in this cruel world of his, but right now at this very moment he decided to let it all out.He told the man everything, of his kind, caring brother that he left behind, of the hard times and abuse they had received from their dad, of what used to be the fun happy times as a small child, of running away from a place he once called home and in the end he got one of the warmest, gentlest hugs he had ever received.

Maybe there are some kind people in this cruel world of Alfred's and a spark of hope had already been lighten.

~End~

(AN:Hi again!Thank you so much for reading this story, I appreciate it (u/u).Um..I guess that's it?Wait!No it's not!!I just wanted to say that I was meant to write this story three or two weeks ago and I have been kinda lazy and I was sick on Monday so..eh.Sorry about that, anyways have an amazing day!Favs,follows and reviews are always appreciated!)

-NekoChan


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